Air quality in the Eugene-Springfield metro area — already among the worst in the United States — is worsening, according to the American Lung Association’s 2026 State of the Air report released Wednesday, April 22.
The American Lung Association ranked the southern Willamette Valley cities No. 2 for short-term particle pollution and No. 3 for annual particle pollution, compared with No. 3 and No. 4 in 2025, respectively.
Annual particle pollution measures the average level of fine particulate matter over a year, while short-term particle pollution tracks daily spikes, often driven by events such as wildfires or industrial incidents…